Related Experiment Videos
Parental touch of the neonate: encourage or condemn?
Insights
Parental touch for premature infants has mixed effects, with potential physical harm but long-term benefits. Clear guidelines are needed for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) staff to balance infant well-being and parental bonding.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Developmental psychology
- Parent-infant interaction
Background:
- Parental touch is a critical aspect of care for premature infants.
- Existing literature presents conflicting views on the benefits and risks of parental touch.
- Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) often lack standardized protocols for implementing parental touch.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the existing literature on parental touch in premature infants.
- To identify the potential detrimental and beneficial effects of parental touch.
- To highlight the need for evidence-based guidelines for nursing staff in NICUs.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
- Studies examining the impact of parental touch on premature infants were analyzed.
- The review synthesized findings on both short-term physical effects and long-term psychosocial outcomes.
Main Results:
- Parental touch can have negative physical consequences for premature infants in the short term.
- However, touch demonstrates significant positive long-term benefits for both the infant and the parent.
- There is a notable lack of clear, actionable guidelines for nursing staff regarding parental touch in NICUs.
Conclusions:
- Establishing clear guidelines for parental touch in NICUs is essential.
- These guidelines should aim to optimize care for both premature infants and their parents.
- Evidence-based protocols can help nursing staff navigate the complexities of parental touch, ensuring the best outcomes.
Abstract:
The available literature regarding parental touch and its use on premature infants indicates differing views on whether touch should be encouraged or condemned. Findings of this literature review indicate that touch can have a detrimental physical effect on the infant, however positive long-term benefits for parent and child. The absence of direct guidelines for nursing staff working in a neonatal intensive care unit make decisions about parental touch difficult. The result from this literature review suggests that guidelines for nursing staff need to be established, so that optimum care is provided for both infant and parent.